The timely production and analysis of subscriber information and traffic data has become invaluable to service providers and government authorities for an array of needs related to critical infrastructure protection and the extraction of forensic evidence for law enforcement, for example for the purpose of prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of crime and criminal offences including terrorism. When a new mobile unit is introduced into a mobile communication system, the mobile unit as such typically first has to be configured and the subscriber directories of an operator, to which a user of the mobile unit has a subscription, has to be updated before the user actually may employ these services. In order to configure the mobile unit, some data or software is typically downloaded and installed or activated in the mobile unit. In addition, the operator's subscriber directories are updated, identifying the mobile unit as capable of supporting and managing the service(s). In the international application WO 2004/040929 is disclosed a network-based Automated Device Configuration ADC solution. The system in the international application detects what kind of phone a user has. Technically it means that when the phone is activated, the network matches the International Mobile Equipment Identifier Software Version, IMEISV of the mobile phone with information in previously stored data for that subscriber, identified by International Mobile Subscriber Identifier, IMSI. If the IMEISV value for that IMSI has changed or was not previously registered, a configuration and provisioning event is triggered. The implementation is based on appropriate network triggering options for the proper ADC adaptations in GSM, GPRS and WCDMA network domains. The triggering options include an SGSN based trigger and an MSC/HLR based trigger. In the international patent application, Automatic Device Detection ADD functionality is used. The ADD requires a Device Configuration Register DCR that interacts with SGSN and MSC/HLR nodes as well as a DMS node. Independent of trigger option, a network trigger event such as a subscriber attachment notification, is transferred to the Device Configuration Register DCR that may decide if device configuration is needed. If a subscriber buys a new mobile phone or changes GPRS subscription for example adding new Access Point to Networks, the DCR will upon receiving a subscriber attachment notification, detect the new phone, check the need for configuration, and order to DMS the sending of appropriate configuration to the device, if found appropriate. New configuration parameters are sent to a subscriber's device via SMS using Over-The-Air protocol.
The ADD manages the network detection of new user devices and the detection of new subscribed Access Point to Network APN. The ADD may verify any APN the user can set on his phone. As example, the ADD shall verify either that all useful configuration parameters have been set or that some other additional APNs can be downloaded on the phone since supported by the GPRS user subscription in HLR. It offers two modes of operations that reflect the following detection-triggering capabilities:
MSC/HLR Triggering (MT)
SGSN Triggering (ST)
Depending on the selected mode of operation, the DCR interacts with either or both of SGSN (that is ADC-ST mode) or MSC & HLR nodes (that is ADC-MT mode). The MT mode of operation supports the detection of a new device whenever a subscriber attaches to the network (i.e. MSC/HLR location update procedure), the ordering of device configuration related to communication settings (that is bootstrap) and service application configuration update. If both Home and Visited Public Land Mobile Network HPLMN and VPLMN support the ADC-MT solution, the detection of new user devices is supported even when the subscriber is in roaming condition. The use of the ADC solution with ADC-ST mode of operation is limited to GPRS in HPLM environment, without roaming support.
The increasing need for and use of this information and data has increased the burdens and costs on service providers and law enforcement alike. Monitoring can be used to provide information from users. An Intercept Mediation and Delivery Unit IMDU belong to prior art and are disclosed in current Lawful Interception standards (see 3GPP TS 33.108 and 3GPP TS 33.107-Release 6). The IMDU comprises a Law Enforcement Monitoring Function LEMF. The LEMF is connected to three Mediation Functions respectively for ADMF, DF2, DF3 i.e. an Administration Function ADMF and two Delivery Functions DF2 and DF3. The Administration Function and the Delivery Function DF2 are each one connected to the LEMF via standardized interfaces H1 and H2, and connected to an intercept access point via the interfaces X1 and X2. The messages sent from LEMF to ADMF via HI1 and from the ADMF to the network via the X1 interface comprise identities of a target that is to be monitored. The Delivery Function DF2 receives Intercept Related Information IRI from the network via the X2 interface, and DF2 is used to distribute the IRI to relevant Law Enforcement Agencies via the HI2 interface. The DF3 receives Content of Communication, i.e. speech and data and is connected to LEMF via a standardized interface HI3 and to the access point via an interface X3. Commonly the ADMF, DF2 and DF3 are parts of the service provider domain and located distinctly from the LEMF. The Intercept Mediation and Delivery Unit will be further mentioned in the description when FIG. 2 is explained.
In the currently provided lawful interception solution, it is a prerequisite that the lawful interception agencies know the identities of the user to intercept. In a certain country, this can be achieved by contacting the network operators providing telecommunication services and the agencies will get the user identities from those operators. A problem arises when foreign mobile users enters a certain country and performs roaming procedure in a certain network operator domain. Another problem is related to the correlation of user identities e.g. IMEI and IMSI. The agency does for example not know that a certain subscriber uses a certain IMSI with certain mobile equipment IMEI and it is not possible to activate interception on IMEI in GPRS. Besides, the agencies can be informed about the subscriber profiles (i.e. enabled services) from network operators, but it cannot be informed about the real usage of the service from the subscribers. This information from both home and foreign users could be useful for the agency to decide preliminarily if the user has to be intercepted. Typical example is related to “hackers”, who are not dangerous if provided only with “speech” service subscriptions, while the interception is really necessary when the subscriber access to data call or packet switched services.